Extension for ladder-legs



F. H. BARRON.

ExTENsloN FOR LADDER LEGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 6, 1918.

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F. H. BARRON.

EXTENSION EGR LADDER LEGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYB, 1918.

1,329,740. Patented Feb. 3,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

51m/manto@ fedefjC/ H. arron FREDERICK H. BARRON, OF ENTIAT, WASHINGTON.

EXTENSION FOR LADDER-LEGS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1920,

Application'led May 6, 1918. Serial No. 232,809.

T 0 all 'whom 'itmag/ concern Be it known that I, FREDERICK H. BAR- noN,a citizen of the United States, and resident of Entiat, county ofChelan, and State of lVashington, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Extensions for Ladder-Legs, of which the following is aspecication.

My invention relates to ladders and consists of an attachment by which aladder leg may be lengthened as may be necessary to fit uneven ground.

The object of my invention is to provide an attachment for ladders bywhich any ordinary ladder` may have one of its legs made longer orshorter, as desired, and thus cause it, to be more convenient for use onuneven or sloping ground.

My invention comprises the novel parts and combinations of parts whichwill be hereinafter described and then particularly Claimed.

In the drawings I have shown my invention in the form of constructionwhich is now most preferred by me.

Figure 1 shows in perspective my attachment as applied to the end of aladder leg, a portion of the upper yend thereof being broken away.

Fig. 2 shows the lower end of a ladder having my attachment appliedthereto.

Fig. 3 is an edge view of a ladder leg having my attachment appliedthereto, a portion thereof being broken away, to show parts.

Fig. i is a transverse section on the liuc 4 4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section through the part of my device which isfixedly se cured to the ladder leg, and which forms the guide for theadjusting bar.

Fig. 6 is a face view of the parts shown in Fig. 5.

My invention comprises two principal parts, a base member, which isdesigned to be ixedly secured to the lower end of a ladder leg and whichis so constructed as to Jform a guide within which the extension bar mayslide, and which isl provided with means for locking enffagement withsaid eX- tension bar. The other part is the extension bar which ismounted to slide in said base or guiding member and which may beprojected to increase the effective length of the ladder bar upon whichit is mounted.

In the drawings 1 represents a metal plate which is so constructed as tobe capable of attachment upon the leg of an ordinary ladder and also soas to provide a supporting gulde for the extension bar 2. The plate 1,

in the design illustrated, is supposed to be made' of rolled sheet metalof a substantial thickness so as to give ample strength. This is made ofa plate having a width exceeding materially the width of the ladder leg.

Its side edges are cut so as to provideY ears 10 at each end which maybe bent about the edges of the ladder leg 9, to overlap the oppositesides thereof, as is shown in Figs. 1, 3 and a particularly. The tips 11of these ears 10 engage the' opposite or back side of the ladder leg andassist in holding the plate in v.posit-ion. The plate being rolled ofsheet metal is malleable and may be bent over with a hammer so as to fitladder legs of different thicknesses. In addition, I provide twosecuring bolts 15 which pass through the ladder leg. The heads of thesebolts should be countersunk or flush with the outer surface of the bar,to permit free sliding of the extension bar 2.

Adjacent the ears 10 by which the plate is v secured upon the ladderleg, are other ears 13, which ears are oppositely bent so as to havetheir end sections parallel with the body of the plate 1, but spacedloutward therefrom a suiiicient distance to accommodate the extensionbar 2 and to permit the free sliding action of said bar under theseears. Between the ears 13, 'at opposite ends of the plate, are sideflanges 14, which project outwardly and which form a base upon which thelocking device'is mounted. The

base portions 15 of the ears 13, together with the anges 14 justmentioned, form edge supports and guides for thel extension bar 2.

The extension bar 2, as herein shown, is of a composite construction.This employs a filler 20, the same being intended as a bar of wood. Thisis provided with a metal envelop or covering which consists of twoparts. The chief of these parts consists of a plate 21 which has its edes bent up so as to engage the edgesor` t e filler bar 20. These sideflanges 22 are of a width to extend somewhat beyond the surface of theliller bar 20 and to overlap the edges of the other member 3 of theextension bar. This member 3 is a plate which is so constructed as toprovide means for holding engagement therewith of a locking dog.

The means preferred and illustrated, consist in providing this platewith transverse corfugations, as `is clearly shown in lligs.

, l and 3. The flanges 22 of the companion pivot bar 40. rlhis dog hasan arm Al entending outwardly by which it is controlled. A spring 42mayY connect this outer bar with a bolt i3 which extends between the twoside Hanges la and thus serves to holdthe do in loclring engagement.rl`he inner end ed this dog engaging the corrugations in the plate 3 ofthe extension bar, will preventv upward movement thereof. Downwardmovement may be secured by pulling out the extension bar. l/'hen 1t isdesired to move this extension bar upward,

the locking dog t must be held outward y sufficiently to permit suchmovement.

till

As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a slightly diderent type of locking bar isemployed. ln this case the locking dog @el is of a some-- whatdiid'erent type of construction. lt is pivoted upon a bar 40 in asimilar manner vbut is provided with a rib or tooth i5 for engagementwith the corrugated face of the plate 3. A locking bar to hold this dogin loclred position is provided. rlFhis bar 5 is pivoted upon'a bolt 50which is essentially the saine as the bolt or rod 43, shown in Fig. 3. v

The spring ft2, instead of being 4secured to the vrod or kbolt d3', issecured to the lochbar 5, and normally holds the same in s 'positionshown in full lines in Figs.. 5 i Villen in this position, the extensionbar is securely held 'by the dog 4l. The dog All has a linger i6 soplaced that when the bar 5 has its outer end thrown downward, the innerend will engage the inner surface of the nger d6 and thus raise thelocking dog so as to free the extension bar and permit free movementthereof in either direction.

llo the lower end of the extension rod and preferably forming a part ofthe plate 2l which forms the major part of the reinforcement thereof,is' a foot 6. rll`his ein tends laterallyand is intended to give amaterial area to the end of the extension bar so that when 1n use itwill not sinlr into ushing `or :lineari-4.o

soft ground. 'lChe foot is braced by a diag'- i onal extension 30 oftheplate 3 which has Vits extreme end 3l flanged over the end of of thefoot are bent over the same, as is. clearly shown in Fig`. l, andsuggested in Fig. 3.

. The above device is of such design that I it may be cheaply/made andyet be strong. llt may be conveniently applied by any person to anordinary ladder and requires no special tools for thiswork.The-extension eg may be applied to the ladder leg though the thicknessof the latter vary.

What l claim as my invention is:

l. A ladder extension'` leg comprising a wood filler bar, a metal plateinclosing said filler bar on three sides, and a corrugated'4 platecovering the fourth side of said filler bar, the metal plate being:danged over said corrugated plate to hold it in position, said metalplate at its lower end being bent llaterally to form a foot, and'saidcorrugated plate being bent at a point above the bend in the metalvplate, and with its lower end Jloined to the foot to provide a bracethereijor. l

2. A ladder extension leg comprising a wood ller bar, a metal plateinclosng said liller bar on three sides, and a corrugated plate coveringthe fourth side of said iller bar, the metal plate being danged oversaid corrugated plate to hold it in position, said metal plate beingbent laterally to form a foot at its lower end, and said corrugatedplate being bent at a point above the bend in the metalplate, the lowerend of said corrugated plate being llanged over` theV outer edge of thefoot, and theouter .corners of the foot being flanged over the edge ofthe corrugated plate to form a brace for said foot. V

` 3. A ladder leg extension device comprising a wood filler bar,incasing metal plates therefor of which one broad face is corrugated, abase plate adapted to .be secured upon the ladder leg, pivot carrylngdanges forming part of said' base plate, and a lockingv dog pivoted insaid pivot carrying flanges and engaging the corrugations in said platetovv lock the extension leg in position. v

ISigned at lJlenatchee, Washington, this 2th day of April, A. lll.,1918.

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